


no time like the present

by chaoticlywise



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Pepper Potts, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 20:46:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18599113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticlywise/pseuds/chaoticlywise
Summary: Everything happens in slow motion for Peter. Ned’s cheerful expression turns into one of horror, Happy’s shades are thrown down in the car and he’s reaching for the door handle with his other hand resting on his holster on his hip. A girls body thumps quietly when it falls down the stairs leading inside the school; his school. All Peter sees for a moment after that is the deep burgundy color surrounding her head. Blood.The world snaps back into motion. People are screaming, crying, running. Peter turns to face Ned. They need to get out of here, so Ned is safe and so Peter can change.Another shot goes off and someone else goes down. It’s closer to him now. More screaming, more running, more crying.“Get outta here, Ned!” Peter shouts. “Go find Happ-”A hand clamps down around Peter’s arm and he’s torn backwards with a yelp. A barrel of a gun is pressed into his side.Or:Peter Parker is kidnapped by someone who needs money, someone who will do anything to get it. Tony Stark is tired of people who go after his loved ones to get to him.





	no time like the present

**Author's Note:**

> I definitely did not mean to make this a long as it is so i hope you have some free time lol (it was 24 pages on google docs, so buckle in folks).
> 
> I take recommendations (being creative and original is hard lol)! If you would like to recommend a fic, you can comment it on my most recent fic or ask me on Tumblr (@chaoticlywise). Happy reading and hit me up with some prompts!

“You know, it’s national Kiss a Ginger Day.” 

“No, it’s not, Tony. That’s not even- a thing,” Pepper says as Tony pouts behind her. She slips a pair of heels on and gives him the ‘really, Tony?’ look. He shrugs. “And I’m not a ginger. I have strawberry blonde hair.” 

“Agree to disagree,” Tony says, rolling his head back so it lays on the back of the couch they sit on and he groans. The sun shines in from the large living room window of the Compound and onto Pepper. He can’t remember how he got someone so amazing in his life. “Can’t you just, I dunno, skip this meeting today? You’re the CEO, Pep, just skip today. I did it all the time.” She laughs humorlessly. 

“First of all, it’s not a meeting,” Pepper explains. “I have to go to R&D and see what they have in the works for the new release of Stark tech next month-” Tony cuts her off.

“Listen,” Tony says, running a hand through his hair. “If it’s not a meeting, then why do you have to go? You can send someone in your place, right. Right?” 

“Oh, my god,” Pepper sighs, staring up at the ceiling before snapping her head around to face him with a glare that held fake heat. “It’s like taking care of a five year old.” She deadpans. Tony gasps dramatically.

“Hey! I’m not five! I’m a mature adult-”

“Then act like it,” she says, causingTony to pout again. “I have to go. Don’t forget, Happy is picking Peter up after school and he’s spending the weekend here since May’s out of town.”

“I know, Pep,” Tony says and then smiles innocently. Pepper gives him The Look. “What? I wouldn’t forget my mini-me.”

“The Compound won’t be in flames when I come back, will it?” She asks teasingly. “You two can’t be trusted in a lab together for too long.” 

“Rude,” he grumbles. “It was one time! And it was just the lab anyway.”

“Lab or Compound, it still took you a month to clean it up and you complained the whole time. Peter didn’t and he’s a teenager. He’s supposed to complain!” Pepper says in a sing-song voice, getting up and walking to the kitchen to fill up her to-go coffee mug. Tony sighs loudly. “Oh, calm down, drama queen. You’ll be hanging out with Peter all day. You’ll be busy having so much fun with him that you’ll forget I’m not even in the Compound. And the others are getting back from their mission later today, right? You can hang with them.” She says, walking over to the back of the couch to plant a kiss on his forehead. 

“I could never forget about my amazing, beautiful, wonderful fiancée. And I’m supposed to kiss you, ‘member? ‘Kiss a Ginger Day?’” Tony says as she walks away, laugh echoing down the hall. “Hey, I love you!” 

“Love you, too, Tony.” She shouts back down the hall. “Be good!” 

Tony hears the door close and sinks down into the couch. “Hey, FRI,” he calls out. “Peter gets out of school at 3:15, yeah?” He asks even though he knows the kids schedule like the back of his hand. 

“Yes, Boss,” she says back. “Something I can do for you?”

“Yeah, text the kid,” he says, stretching his arm to try and grab the probably cold coffee mug that’s just out of his reach. “Give him a reminder that Happy’s still picking him up after school today. Oh, and would you be a dear and text Mr. Hogan to drop Pete off at SI instead of here? I have a meeting that Pep’s been pestering me about since October.” 

“Sure thing,” FRIDAY answers, going quiet while she sent texts and set up meetings. “Anything else I can do for you right now?”

Tony hums to himself softly before shaking his head. “Nope,” he says, popping the ‘p’. “We’re all good now.” 

“Boss,” FRIDAY says as Tony gets up to grab another cup of coffee. “Mr. Parker just texted with a confirmation for your plans tonight.”

“Coolio,” Tony says, pouring himself another cup of coffee and taking a large gulp of scalding hot ‘bean juice’, as Peter called it. “Tell him I’m looking forward to it.”

“Will do,” she says. When she relays Peter’s response, there’s a soft quality to her voice. “Boss, Peter sent a series of emoji’s back, would you like me to read them out?”

“Ah, uh, no, I could do without,” Tony says with a soft smile. 

“Thumbs-up emoji,” FRIDAY starts anyway. Tony groans half-heartedly. Peter had her wrapped around his metaphorical finger. “Fist-bump emoji, high-five emoji-”

——————————————————————

“Dude,” Ned breathes next to him, looking over Peter’s shoulder and peering at his cracked phone screen. “Did Mr. Stark text you? Is it a mission?”

“Yeah but it’s not a mission,” he says, typing a response that’s a compilation of way too many emoji’s. “Happy’s gonna pick me up and then drop me off with Tony at the SI building.”

“You’re life is so cool,” Ned says softly, looking back up to the front where their biology teacher is giving a review about their last unit. Peter lets out a breath of laughter before directing is attention to the front of class. He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. The highlight of his week was always when he got to go hang out and build stuff with Tony at the Compound each Friday. He was really excited when May had told him that he could stay with Tony for the weekend since she would be out. He would miss his aunt but she had a business meeting and she would be back Monday night. 

Tony texts him, making sure Peter already has a bag packed. He does and it’s stuffed into his just barely big enough locker. He texts back a quick yes with a thumbs up emoji. 

Tony doesn’t text back after that. Peter goes to his next two classes, lunch, and then his last couple of classes. It ticks by so incredibly slow it feels like every minute is an hour. 

The last bell finally rings. Peter jumps out of his seat, grabs his stuff, and heads out to his locker where Ned meets up with him.

“So, I was thinking we could get together soon and finish this new lego set I got,” Ned babbles excitedly. “It’s got over, like, 2,500 pieces so it’ll only take us a couple of hours.”

“I can’t this weekend,” Peter says. “I’ve got-”

“-the Stark Internship, yeah, yeah, I know.” Ned says knowingly. “Next weekend?” 

“That’ll probably work for me,” Peter says as they step outside. It’s a nice day, a little on the chilly side since it’s early spring but that’s why he’s wearing a thick sweater. He looks out for Happy’s car and spots the big, black SUV just a little ways down. The drivers-side window is rolled down and Happy’s looking in Peter’s general direction, probably glaring but Peter can’t really tell since he’s wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. “Uh oh, Happy doesn’t look so… happy,” Peter says and Ned snickers at his horrible joke that they’ve both made thousands of times. “I gotta go but I’ll see you next-” 

A deafening gunshot cuts him off. 

Everything happens in slow motion for Peter. Ned’s cheerful expression turns into one of horror, Happy’s shades are thrown down in the car and he’s reaching for the door handle with his other hand resting on his holster on his hip. A girls body thumps quietly when it falls down the stairs leading inside the school; his school. All Peter sees for a moment after that is the deep burgundy color surrounding her head. Blood. 

The world snaps back into motion. People are screaming, crying, running. Peter turns to face Ned. They need to get out of here, so Ned is safe and so Peter can change. 

Another shot goes off and someone else goes down. It’s closer to him now. More screaming, more running, more crying. 

“Get outta here, Ned!” Peter shouts. “Go find Happ-”

A hand clamps down around Peter’s arm and he’s torn backwards with a yelp. A barrel of a gun is pressed into his side, right near his appendix. He bites back a gasp at the tight grip.

“Hey!” Peter hears a familiar voice shout. He looks around and spots Happy, lunging towards them. He pulls his gun and clicks the safety off, finger resting on the barrel of the gun so he doesn’t accidentally pull the trigger and hit Peter instead. People go stock-still around them, staring at the scene with wide, teary eyes. “Let the kid go, asshole.” Happy says. 

The man stays expressionless, hardly breathing from what Peter can tell. The gun is suddenly lowered from his side and pointed away from them. The man fires and Happy goes down. 

“Happy!” Peter calls out, tugging at the hand holding him back. People are running and screaming again but Peter can only focus on the man he’s come to see as family dying. He can’t use his powers because people will see but if he doesn’t, people will die. People are already dead. “Oh, my god. Stop! What the hell are you doing?” He breathily asks the man holding him back. He leans down towards Peter. His breath is rancid and it smells like something died in his mouth. Peter flinches away from him.

“You’re going to come with me,” the man whispers in his ear, just over the sound of chaos and distant sirens. “If you don’t, more people will die and I will still find a way to make you come with me. It’s your choice.” Peter shudders. He knows what he has to do. 

“Okay, okay,” Peter says, putting his free hand up in a surrendering way. “I’ll go with you. Just don’t hurt anyone else.” 

——————————————————————

Tony gets the alert only a few minutes after everything goes to shit.

“Boss,” FRIDAY says, sounding worried. It piques Tony’s interest as he finishes getting ready for his meeting. “The ‘White Van Protocol’ has been activated by Mr. Hogan.”

Tony drops everything and runs out of his room and to the direction of the lab. “What the hell? Why? Did Happy say why?” Tony asks frantically as he waits impatiently in the elevator. 

“No, but a few police stations have been notified of an attack at Midtown School of Science and Technology just over a minute ago.” She says back and Tony’s stomach drops to his feet. The doors open and he runs out and to the doors of his lab. He types in the password and the door slides open; it takes too long. He makes his way over to a desk and starts pulling anything up with ‘Midtown’ or ‘Spider-Man’ in it. 

“What kind of an attack, FRI?” Tony asks slowly, the words feel thick and heavy in his mouth. Christ, nothing like this was ever supposed to happen, especially not to Peter.

Bruce looks on at him from across the lab. “Tony?” He calls out, cautiously making his way over to the stressed man. “Everything good?” 

“It seems to be a school shooting,” FRIDAY interrupts. “I count five casualties: two dead and the other three with varying degrees of injuries. Would you like me to show you those affected?” 

“Yeah, up on the screen,” Tony says breathlessly. Five files are immediately pulled up on the screen in two columns; the dead and the living. Bruce walks closer to inspect the people when a familiar name and face register in Tony’s head.

“Where’s Happy now?” Tony asks. Happy’s smiling face is on the screen under the ‘living’ category but it doesn’t make him feel any better since it could change at almost any second.

“Still at the school but an ambulance was called for him and the other injured individuals to Lenox Hill Hospital. The police are on their way to the scene.”

“Right, okay, FRIDAY call Pepper. Tell her we’ve got an emergency. Then get the others down here, Bruce and I are gonna need a few other sets of hands,” Tony says in one breath. “Get me into the security cameras in the area and CCTV, scan facial recognition on whoever did this. See if you can track Peter’s phone, while you’re at it.”

“You got it, Boss,” FRIDAY says as she gets to work on her tasks. The silence makes both Tony and Bruce uncomfortable but neither know what to say to the other. Luckily, Steve, Rhodey, and Natasha make it down quickly with Sam, Wanda, Clint, and Vision on their heels. 

They all look tense, Steve especially with his arms crossed over his chest and face set in an almost glare at the monitors. “What’s wrong?” Steve asks asks as Natasha makes her way over to the computers and looks at the big, bold letters reading ‘casualties’, scanning through the names. “FRIDAY said it was urgent.”

“That’s ‘cause it is,” Tony says, swiveling around to point at the screen. “There’s no way to put this lightly so I’m just going to put it out there: Peter’s school was just involved in a shooting.” He says, the words are harsh and thinly veiled with disdain. The faces around him pale and eyes widen. Rhodey steps forward and claps a hand on his shoulder, keeping it there as a small comfort. Sam points at the screen ahead.

“And these are…” Sam gulps thickly, looking at the smiling face of a dead child. It doesn’t seem like he can force the words out, like they’re physically stuck in his throat. Natasha finishes for him. 

“These are the casualties,” she says, eyes stuck on Happy’s face. Sometimes Tony forgets that she and Happy are actually close friends ever since the Expo. “Is Hap alright?” 

“As far as I know,” Tony replies, trying not to be short with her. His main priority right now is figuring out where the hell Peter was. “He was the one who set off the ‘White Van Protocol’ so he had to be semi-conscious for that. He’s probably already at the hospital.”

“Okay, what does that protocol mean?” Rhodey asks softly, as to not upset Tony. Tony inhales sharply. After he said it out loud, that would make it real. It was already too real. He steels himself.

“It means Peter was kidnapped.”

——————————————————————

Peter vividly remembers his aunt telling him to never get in a car with a stranger, no matter what. And that’s the most ironic part of this whole thing, isn’t it? He saves people. Makes sure the neighborhood is safe. Sacrifices himself but people are still dead because of him. People, who had lives and families to go home to and pets who will never see them again, are corpses. 

Happy’s face, twisted up in pain and shock with his mouth hanging open slightly, flashes to the forefront of his brain and he blinks rapidly to fight back tears. People are out there, bleeding out on the sidewalk because he has a target on his back. 

Peter wants to scream; he wants to cry. He wants so jump out of the car and run into May’s apartment and it’s comforting warmth or Tony’s lab with DUM-E and U. He wants one of May’s hugs or Tony’s hands ruffling his hair or Pepper’s hand around his waist to keep him close or Happy’s hand on his shoulder; a silent comfort, safety - a luxury. He wants to punch out this man’s lights - this man, who he has no other choice but to sit next to or become a corpse like everyone outside his school and leave May and Tony and Pepper and Happy without him. 

So he sits with this man that he doesn’t trust or care to know. 

The car hums softly underneath them. The man hasn’t said a word to him since they got in the car. Peter doesn’t dare look in his direction, choosing to look out the window and watch the man from the corner of his eye instead. The streets narrow and become less populated until he notices they enter the warehouse district.

Tony has know what’s going on by now. Peter knows the man is a little… overprotective. Especially since the snap.

Peter shudders at the thought and pushes out of the forefront of his mind. He doesn’t want to think about that right now; more important things are happening than the past.

Peter startles when the man interrupts his slowly darkening thought process. 

“You must be wondering who I am,” the man interrupts the silence and effectively startling Peter out of his spiral. “Maybe you’re thinking about what am I’m going to do with you or why this is happening.” He says. The last part is soft, as if it just popped into his head. He clears his throat and sniffs loudly. “My name is Thomas. I’m a retired army doctor but that shouldn’t be important for your situation. What is important, however, is that I need money.”

Peter looks at him now. He’s an older man but he carries himself with pride. His eyes are a soft shade of baby blue but it’s a startling contrast between that and his greying hair.

Peter clears his throat, feeling awkward and self-conscious. “So, what do you want from me?” He asks. “I’m guessing I wasn’t just a random kid you picked up and if you know anything about me, you know I don’t have a lot of money.”

Thomas chuckles deeply, barely a rumble in his chest. “Very good,” he says softly, almost to himself. “I guess you go to that fancy school for a reason. And you might not have a lot of cash but Tony Stark does and that’s good enough for me.”

Peter licks his lips, mouth suddenly feeling very dry. “Why?” He asks. Thomas slowly turns his head to look at him, his eyes piercing. “Why are you doing this? What’s your endgame?” 

Thomas doesn’t answer for a moment, turning back to face the road. Peter thinks he overstepped when the older man opens his mouth with an audible breath, almost like a gasp. “My wife, Abigail, she’s dying. Bone cancer,” he says softly. Peter almost feels bad but then he remembers the girl who won’t get to have a life because this man decided it wasn’t worth as much as his wife’s. “I need money for the treatment she needs. Money I don’t have and that certainly doesn’t grow on trees.” 

“So you traded lives?” Peter asks softly. He can feel the anger swelling and bubbling up just below the surface. His breaths come out shorter and faster. He’s seething. His voice rises slightly. “You took the life of a girl you don’t even know for the life of your wife? You don’t even know if the treatment will work for her-”

“Stop it!” Thomas shouts over him. Peter flinches back. He can see the gun trembling in Thomas' hand and Peter scoots subtly towards the car door. “You don’t know that she won’t make it.” He says softly now. The shift in emotions throws Peter for a loop. What the living fuck? The car slows to a stop and Peter looks worriedly towards Thomas. “Alright, get out.” He says. 

“What?” If Peter thought he was confused before, it held nothing to now. Was he just… gonna let Peter go? Cause a little chaos and then disappear? What about the money?

“We’re at our stop,” Thomas explains, getting out of the car and walking towards Peter’s door to open it for him.

Peter thinks that maybe he could make a break for it now but he also thinks about how stupid that would be. Running away from a former US soldier who happened to be a little trigger happy? Yeah, maybe not his best idea.

“C’mon then,” Thomas says as he opens Peter’s door. “We don’t have much time.” Peter fumbles with the seatbelt for a minute before clicking it open. He scrambles out of the car ungracefully and turns away from Thomas to get a better look at where he is.

The sudden, painful pulsing and hair standing up on end alerts him to danger and he turns in time to feel the butt of a gun hit his temple. He falls to the ground and clutches his head as his vision darkens around the edges. He distantly watches as Thomas puts his gun away and starts to walk menacingly toward him. Before he can do anything about it, his vision darkens completely. 

——————————————————————

“Ned Leeds is calling you, Boss.” FRIDAY announces over the lab. 

“Answer it,” Tony says, sounding a little (read: a lot) impatient. 

“Mister Stark?” Ned’s worried voice says over the speaker. Worry from a child in high definition was something he never wanted to hear again. “Oh, my god. Oh, god. Did you hear about what happened to Peter? Happy’s- is Happy okay?” 

“He’s was admitted to the hospital but we’re trying to move him to the Compound,” Tony explains. Ned lets out a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. “Listen kid, I need you to help me out.”

“Okay, I mean- yeah, okay.”

“Okay,” Tony breathes, massaging his forehead. “Did you see what the guy who… came to your school looked like? Or what happened to Peter?”

Ned sniffs and sounds close to tears when he answers. “I don’t really remember what the guy looked like but I know that Peter got into the car with him. It looked like he was doing it willingly, too. I don’t know if that helps? The car was silver, an older Toyota, I think.”

“That’s- perfect, Ned, thank you,” Tony stumbles over his words as the feed from the school finally pops up. “Listen, I gotta go but you will be one of the first people to know when we find Pete, okay? You and May.”

“Okay, no problem Mister Stark. Thank you,” Ned says before he hangs up and Tony contemplates calling him back for a minute, to thank him; to apologize. 

Tony sighs and rests his head in his hands for a moment. He feels so goddamn helpless right now. What good is he protecting the world if he can’t even protect his kid?

A comforting hand is placed on his back and he recognizes it almost immediately: Rhodey. His rock back in college and even now occasionally, when Pepper isn’t around. He’s always been there during the thick of it and the concerned, caring look he always gives Tony when he’s going down hill almost manages to cripple him if he thinks on it too long. 

He was not good enough for this man. He wasn’t good enough for anyone he was lucky enough to have in his life.

Rhodey shakes his shoulder gently, getting Tony to look at him. His tone is soft but firm when he asks, “You good, Tones?”

“As good as I can be,” Tony answers truthfully. “Let’s get to work on this, shall we?” Rhodey nods and steps back. The occupants of the room look up at the screen where security footage is waiting to be played.

And the footage is… abominable. It’s like nothing Tony’s ever seen, and he’s seen some shit. Like a real life horror movie. Kids are dying; being put on the front line because of a guy with a gun and a motivation. 

He feels genuinely sick to his stomach in a way he hasn’t felt since he woke up with a hole in his chest, filled with a car battery in an Afghanistan cave. Tony can tell the others feel the same. 

Once the footage is over, they sit in the silence of it. Tony decides he’s had enough pity and claps his hands loudly, gaining everyone’s attention once more. “Alright, here’s the plan. We’ve gotta find out if those who are dead or injured were linked somehow or if the person who shot up the school had some personal vendetta against them or something. I’m gonna do some facial recognition and see who this guy is and then we’ll be in business. We’ll do whatever we need to after that to get Pete back.” 

“Tony, can we… think about this logically for a moment?” Steve says in that same sympathetic voice that makes Tony want to punch him square in the face. “Maybe it was just about Peter. We’ll look into them but Tony, but we might be wasting our time doing this. Maybe we should consider the fact that we might need to call Peter’s aunt because maybe… maybe he’s not coming home.”

And Tony- Tony is absolutely seething. He sees red. His kid would be fine as long as Tony was still out there looking for him. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for Peter. 

“Maybe you should consider the fact that I’ll shove my foot so far up your ass you’ll never be able to walk if you ever even imply that again,” Tony practically snarls. Steve looks so goddamn sad. Tony hates it more than he’s hated anything. Hates him and this goddamn situation. “Just- help me figure this out then you can yell at me later, I don’t care. The kid’s my top priority right now.” 

The others nod and Cap shoo’s them out of the room, telling them their orders and who they were researching. Rhodey and Bruce stay with Tony, trying to figure out what the hell their next move should be.

“Boss,” FRIDAY says. “I have found some new developments.”

“Hit me,” Tony says providing his full attention to the disembodied voice.

“It seems that the shooter was one Thomas Palmer,” she says, pulling up a quick profile she made, full of information that might be helpful to them. Bruce and Rhodey shuffle in closer to get a better look. He’s an older guy, balding slightly with greying hair. The wrinkles around his face show age and experience. “He is an ex-military doctor. He drove away in his car, a 2008 silver Toyota Corolla.” She says and a plate flashes up on the screen. “He lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with his wife, Abigail Palmer. They don’t have any children.”

The questions rise as soon as she says he’s from Iowa. Tony can tell Rhodey and Bruce have the same questions on the tips of their tongues. “So he, what? Came here all the way from Iowa to shoot up a school and kidnap a kid?”

“It would seem so, Boss.”

“Is there any correlation of why he’s here?” Bruce asks. “Like, maybe he’s visiting family?”

“Right, and he just decided a fun activity would be to go kill some kids and then kidnap one?” Rhodey scoffs. “I don’t think so. Something’s off.”

——————————————————————

Peter’s head is pulsing when he wakes up. Pain flares up then goes away for a moment before it gets bad again. He winces and squints his eyes open. He blinks a few times when something gets in his eye. It has a red tint and he startles when he realizes that it’s blood. His blood. He settles down a little, noticing he’s sat on some rickety chair.

“You awake?” A voice asks. It sets Peter on edge. He doesn’t open his eyes again, hoping Thomas will think it was just a weird sleep thing. His spidey sense screams again and then theres a fist hitting his jaw. 

His head snaps back and he blinks his eyes open lazily, groaning. This guy has one hell of a right-hook. Peter looks up to see Thomas towering over him, and he doesn’t look happy.

“Listen, kid,” he says. “I don’t wanna do this anymore than you wanna be here but we can get through this pretty painlessly if you just cooperate.” 

“You’ll get through it better than me if we keep this up,” Peter says, going to gesture with his hands at the already forming bruise on his face before realizing his hands are tied to the arms of the chair he’s sitting on. He looks down at them, he’s sure he could break out of them in a few seconds flat if he really tried. 

He doesn’t. He has a secret identity to keep, after all. “Fine,” Peter sighs. “You win. What do you want me to do?” 

“Just sit and look pretty,” Thomas says, backing up and setting up a camera. Peter cringes slightly at Thomas’ word choice. “Just gonna take a picture and get Stark to cough up some cash.” Peter scoffs and laughs humorlessly. Thomas looks utterly confused. “What?”

“I’m sorry, but you’re power play really is… me? I thought you were joking,” Peter says, giving him a small, self-deprecating smile. “Sorry to break it to you buddy, but I’m just an intern. He doesn’t give a rats ass about me.” Now, Peter knows this isn’t true; Tony has told him multiple times that Peter is important to him. In fact, even when he doesn’t say it, he shows it more and more with every update on the suit, every time he invites Peter over to the Compound, every time they work in the lab and can practically read each other’s thoughts while they work just by looking at the other person. They were close, but this man didn’t need to have that upper hand.

Thomas’s face slowly turns smug and Peter can feel his stomach drop down to his feet. What did he know? “You know, being close with Stark and all, you would think you’d be better at lying,” He says as he goes to mess with the camera some more. “Smile.” He says as the camera shutters and a bright light blinds him.

——————————————————————

Tony’s email dings once, twice, three times. He ignores them all until FRIDAY speaks up.

“Boss, I don’t recommend you ignoring these emails,” she says, matter of factly. “They seem to contain evidence to Mister Parker’s whereabouts.”

Tony chokes on his water. “W-what? Open them on the big screen, FRI. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“Sorry, Boss,” she says, sounding truly apologetic. “I have programming that has me sort anything from an email you don’t know into the junk mail folder.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll fix it later,” Tony says, clicking on the email link as Rhodey and Bruce crowd around the screen again. 

The imagery is more than a little shocking. Tony bites back a gasp while Picture Peter stares into the souls of everyone in the room, tied to an old looking, wooden chair. There’s a bruise forming on the side of his face and blood dribbles down from his scalp, over his left eye and into his mouth. Bruce and Rhodey set into motion behind Tony, calling Cap and Nat, letting them in on the new development but all Tony can focus on is the look of utter fear on Peter’s face that it’s clear he’s valiantly trying to hide. It cuts deep into his core. Peter was scared. Peter was scared and alone with a guy who had more years of military experience than the kid had been alive and there was nothing he could do about it. 

Tony decides then and there that he’s going to send Thomas Palmer to the worst kind of jail to rot until he dies there.

“Tony,” Bruce says hesitantly from behind him. “Rhodey’s tracing the email to see where it was sent from and I’m gonna go get the medbay set up, are you going to be okay here?” Tony scoffs.

“I’ll be fine,” Tony lies. He’ll never be fine again after seeing his kid so scared and vulnerable like how he was. “I’m just gonna… start updating FRIDAY. Make a plan for it or something. I’ll be fine here, Brucie, no need to worry.” 

Bruce looks at him for another moment before deciding to head out, throwing a worried glance behind him. Tony sighs and rests his forehead on the desk in front of him. His email pings again and Tony looks up so fast, he thinks he got whiplash.

It’s another email from the same address as the one of Picture Peter. It’s not a picture this time though, it’s text that’s only a few sentences long.

“Tones?” Rhodey’s voice calls out from somewhere behind him. “You good, man? That sounded like your email, did you get something?” 

“Uh,” Tony blanks for a moment, his mind going a mile a minute trying to process what the hell this email is going on about as Rhodey quickly approaches him from where he was in the lab. “Yeah, yeah I did. I think it’s from our Mister Palmer here.” 

“The hell?” Rhodey says, leaning over to try and get a better look at the email. He mouths the words to himself as he reads it, each word looking more painful than the last. He sighs at the end of it. “Jesus,” He breathes out. Tony feels as if he can share the sentiment. “Okay, what do you want to do about this?”

“Well, I have to do this,” Tony says. He feels like a piece of shit, he never should’ve gotten the kid involved in this. “He said it was hand over some money or he’s gonna kill Pete. I can’t let him die because of me.” 

“Listen to me, man,” Rhodey says getting Tony to look him in the eye. “This is good, we can drop the money off and take Peter with us when we leave. He’ll be fine.”

“No,” Tony says, pointing to a line in the email. “He wants us to send money through the mail so he’ll always have the upper hand. After we’ve sent all the money, then he’ll give us Peter.”

“Think about this Tony, he doesn’t have the upper hand if we know his address. We can just hit up wherever the money is going after we’ve sent it.”

“If you don’t mind,” FRIDAY interrupts. “Mister Stark is right on this one, Colonel Rhodes. If we aren’t careful about this situation, Peter could end up unnecessarily hurt, or worse.”

“How much worse do you think it could get?” Rhodey murmurs hesitantly but he had a good idea of what she meant from his time in the military 

“He was a military doctor, correct?” FRIDAY asks rhetorically. Rhodey nods anyway. “So he saw a lot of gruesome injuries and had to fix them, which means he most likely knows how to undo the fixes.”

“The point she’s getting to is that we could get Peter back in… multiple pieces if we don’t handle this with extreme prejudice,” Tony finishes. “FRI, get the team in here. I’m going to email him back and send him the money so he’ll send Pete back.”

“What?” Rhodey exclaims, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly. “You’re just gonna give up like that? This is Peter, we’re talking about here-”

“That’s exactly my point!” Tony raises his voice and Rhodey’s mouth snaps shut. “This is Peter. It’s not you or me or Nat or Steve. It’s Peter. I might fight harder with any of you but not him. Who knows what this guy could do to him. At least you guys could defend yourselves. Peter’s just- he’s a kid. Jesus, he’s 16.”

Rhodey sighs. “Man, I just- I guess it’s whatever you think is best,” he says, sitting down heavily in the chair next to him and he puts his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead. They let the moment sink in and the room is quiet before Rhodey speaks again. “This situation is a shit-storm.”

Tony laughs, but it sounds more like a scoff as he starts typing his response back to Palmer. “You’re telling me, Rhodes.” 

——————————————————————

“Hey kid,” Thomas says to Peter. There’s a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Guess who emailed me back? So much for Tony Stark not caring about you.”

“He probably just feels obligated,” Peter grounds out. “I told you already, he doesn’t even know who I am.”

“Sure,” Thomas says sarcastically. There’s something smug about his expression now and it’s rather off-putting. Peter shifts uncomfortably in his chair. Thomas pulls up a matching chair and sits in front of him. “So here’s the plan: Tony Stark is going to mail me some money and once he does and I get that money, I’m gonna shoot you.”

Peter blanches and tries to come up with a response that isn’t sputtering. “S-sorry?”

“I won’t need you after I get the money,” Thomas explains. “And I knew the only way I’d get anything from him is by saying you’d stay safe.”

“He’ll come after you,” Peter scrambles for something to say. “He probably already knows where we are, who you’re related to, you’re personal home address, everything. He’ll kill you if you do this.”

“So we’re not denying our relationship with Stark now?” Thomas mocks lightly, leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed, like he’s already won. “Stop trying to save yourself. It’s too late, now-”

“I’m not doing this to save myself,” Peter says and an edge of separation slips in. “I’m trying to save you. If you kill me, he will kill you. And you’ll never get that money to your wife.”

Peter watches as Thomas’ guard goes down for a second before building back up again, this time, morphing into a snarl. “Shut it, kid, or I’ll kill you now and get Stark here so I can kill him, too.”

——————————————————————

“Tony?” Pepper’s worried voice calls from down the hall. “Rhodey, is Tony in here?”

There’s some shuffling and clicking of heels and then Pepper’s hand is on his shoulder, causing him to turn around to face her. She crouches in front of him and takes his face into her hands. Her face is creased with worry. Tony just sees another person he’s hurt. 

“Hey,” he croaks at her. She smiles weakly at him and heaves a sigh. “How’d the meeting at SI go?”

“Oh, Tony,” Pepper sighs exasperatedly, leaning forward to give him a hug. “I just heard what happened, Natasha called me.” She pulls back from him to give him a hard look. “We are going to get Pete back. And it’s happening today.”

Tony jerks back at her abruptness. “What do you mean?” Tony asks. “It’s gonna take at least a couple days for the money to get to the warehouse-”

“That bastard isn’t getting any of our money,” Pepper says, standing up as Rhodey walks up behind her to listen in. “I was thinking we blackmail him.”

“Nuh-uh,” Tony says. “That’ll just piss him off and he’ll- what if he kills Peter?”

“No, he won’t,” Pepper assures him. “He won’t if his wife is on the line.”

“Woah, Pep,” Rhodey says, holding his hands up. “We’re not gonna kill his wife, right? Because I’m all for getting Peter back but I just don’t feel comfortable being apart of killing an old lady-”

“No, no. God, who do you think I am?” Pepper exclaims. “No, we just need to make him think we have her.”

——————————————————————

It’s been a few hours since the emails and Thomas started completely ignoring Peter since then. Peter feels the hunger pang and his stomach rumbles. He sighs. This was more than a little boring. Not that being physically abused was fun, per se but at least he had someone to talk to. Now, nothing was keeping his mind off the blood slowly drying on the side of his face or the throbbing pain in his head. Now that he thinks about it though, a nap actually sounds nice. The quiet of the warehouse is only spooky if he thinks about it and it’s just dark enough-

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Thomas exclaims from across the room. So much for that nap. He storms towards Peter, laptop in hand. He shoves the screen in Peter’s face and Peter blinks to adjust his eyes to the suddenly bright screen. “Do you know who that is? Do you?” Peter shakes his head. “That is my wife. They have her. This is your fault.”

“I’m sorry,” Peter gulps as Thomas storms away, slamming the laptop down on the table just behind the camera before starting to pace. “I really tried to warn you. I said he’d come after you-”

“I didn’t think he’d go after my sick wife!” Thomas finally shouts, grabbing his gun off the table and waving it around, as if to make a point. Peter flinches back slightly. “She wasn’t supposed to be involved in this at all and now she’s gonna- they’re gonna…” 

“They wouldn’t do anything to her,” Peter assures, voice a little shaky. “They’re the Avengers, they save people. D-did it say anything or was it just a picture?”

Thomas is quiet for a moment before taking a deep breath. “They said they’d bring her to me safe and sound if I was willing to trade her for you… alive.”

Peter has to hold in the relieved tears that suddenly start to overwhelm his vision. He lets out a shaky breath and tilts his head down so Thomas doesn’t see his watery eyes. He’ll get to see May and Tony and Ned again. He gets to live.

——————————————————————

“Boss,” FRIDAY announces. “Mister Palmer emailed back with an agreement to meet you but he’s go some terms.”

“Terms?” Pepper asks. “What kind of terms?”

Rhodey steps closer to the monitor to read over the email. “Says he want the trade to go down at the warehouse he’s in, he wants no weapons, and… and for Tony to come by himself with Abigail.” 

“Absolutely not,” Pepper says, voice laced with finality. “I don’t want to send you in there by yourself to pick up Peter alone.”

“Pep,” Tony interrupts. “We have to get Peter back and if those are his terms, they aren’t so bad.”

“I just don’t feel comfortable sending you out alone,” Pepper says. “I want both of you to stay safe.”

“I could go with,” Rhodey offers. Pepper nods. “I’ll just sit in the car and wait to see if anything happens. Palmer doesn’t even have to see me.”

 

Tony sighs, sounding defeated. “Fine.” 

——————————————————————

The sun has already set when Thomas hauls Peter outside, hands now tied behind his back. Thomas’ grip on his upper forearm is uncomfortably tight, even with his super strength and advanced healing. 

Thomas shoves Peter to his knees and the air rushes out of his lungs in a huff. He winces as little rocks dig into his knees and dirt puffs up around them. Peter looks up and takes note that it the sky is completely dark out, the only thing illuminating the area is the automatic street lamps. How long has it been since he was taken? They wait outside for long enough that the New York night chill starts to settle in Peter’s bones and make him shiver lightly. The silence feels claustrophobic, like it’s closing in on all sides and feels the pressure in his ears.

“What are we waiting out here for?” Peter asks, breaking the eerie silence. Thomas doesn’t say anything, staring on ahead, like Peter didn’t say anything at all. “Is it Tony?” Silence. 

A few minutes later, a sleek, black Audi pulls up around the corner. It’s got tinted windows and the uncertainty of not knowing who’s in the car makes his spidey-sense scream, arm hairs standing on end. The car door swings open and Tony steps out in all his worried glory. Tony doesn’t do anything but look at Peter for a long moment before striding to the backseat door. 

When he opens it, the simi-familiar face of Abigail Palmer appears. She looks more fragile in real life than in the pictures as Tony helps her out of the backseat of the car. Peter desperately wants to get off of his knees and run to the car and lock the doors and never get out. 

Although Abigail looks frail, she determinedly makes her way across the gap between the two parties. She stares down at Peter and a look of sadness washes over her features but then it turns sour as she looks up at her husband. 

“You,” she says, brokenly and soft but with so much anger. “You did this.” 

Thomas’ face drops and he looks appalled with her reaction, and maybe even with himself. Abigail looks at Peter again, gesturing for him to stand. “I’m so sorry, hon,” she says to him softly, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder before squeezing. “Go. He’s worried.”

Peter turns to Tony and the walk toward him feels like the longest, most agonizing few seconds of his life until Tony meets him halfway with a hug that squeezes the air out of his lungs but, God, he’s never felt more relieved. 

Tony pulls back so abruptly that they both rock slightly on their heels. “Are you okay?” He asks Peter. It had been such a long time that he’d felt genuinely safe that all the pain from that day, physically and emotionally, comes back to him full force. His body aches and he feels like he needs to take a 2 day nap. His eyes water.

“I’m-” Peter starts before there’s a scuffle across from them.

“Thomas!” Abigail shouts and Peter and Tony turn around abruptly to see what’s wrong. Thomas has his gun out again, pointing directly at Peter’s head. 

Everything happens too quickly for Peter to really comprehend. Abigail reaches out for her husband’s gun, pushing his arm down before he elbows her back, making her fall to the ground with a thump. The gun trains shakily on Peter’s form and a loud pop is heard when the gun fires. Eyes closed and arms pulled tightly to his chest to protect himself, Peter braces for the impact that never comes. 

Instead, when Peter opens his eyes, he’s greeted with the back of Tony, standing protectively in front of him. Peter realizes all too late what happened as he watches on in horror as his mentor falls backwards, collapsing onto Peter who secures his arms around Tony as best can.

Peter ends up on his knees again with Tony’s head in his lap. Tony’s face is scrunched up in pain and his hands reach towards the bloody, gaping hole in his stomach. Peter’s mouth opens to say something, trying to form words, anything, but only little gasps of air escape. Peter reaches out toward the hole with a shaky hand, praying to anything out there listening that this isn’t happening, this isn’t real, it’s a dream. Not again, please, not again.

Abigail voice is loud and shrill now as she scolds Thomas but everything feels distant and too quiet to Peter. He hears a car door open but he doesn’t register it happening until Rhodey is on Tony’s right side and pushing away Peter’s unhelpful hands, then pressing down on the wound, hard. Blood squelches out through in between Rhodey’s intertwined fingers and Peter works hard not to throw up right there. He can feel the cooling blood seep into his clothes.

“-eter?” He tunes in at his name, looking up to make eye contact with Rhodey. “Pete, buddy, I need you to stay with me here.” Rhodey says to him and it takes Peter a minute but he nods hesitantly. Rhodey nods back at him. “Good kid, listen to me. We need to get Tony to the Compound ASAP, okay? So I need you to call Natasha for me and tell her to get a Quinjet on our location now, got it? My phone is in the passenger's seat of the car. Call her, Pete.”

Peter nods numbly, easing out from under Tony’s weight, who groans at the sudden shift. “Sorry, sorry,” Peter mumbles half heartedly. Peter gets up and scrambles to the side door, fumbling with the handle and grabbing the phone that was probably discarded as soon as Rhodey got out of the car.

The phone is already on so he has no trouble finding the contact labeled N.R. and pressing the dial button.

Natasha wastes no time picking her phone up. “Rhodey,” Natasha’s tinny voice says over the speakers. She sounds like she’s trying to cover up how worried she is. “Is everything okay?”

“Natasha,” Peter breathes, not really sure what else to say. The other end is silent for a moment, the other occupant of the line probably confused at hearing Peter’s voice instead of Rhodey’s.

“Peter?” She asks and there’s a commotion on the other end of the phone and someone shushing someone else. “What’s wrong?”

“Tony- he was…” Peter breathes for a minute, scared to say what happened. He steels himself for the ensuing stressful moments he’s sure are around the corner. “He was shot and we need a Quinjet here as soon as you can get it here.”

There’s controlled sounding chaos on the other side of the line and Natasha’s soothing voice comes over the speaker again. “Okay, Pete, it’s okay. We’ll be there soon.”

“Okay,” Peter whispers. “I-i’m gonna go and, uh, help Colonel Rhodes.”

“Good idea, kiddo,” Natasha says, voice unwavering. “We’ll see you in a few. Stay safe.” 

And then the line beeps. 

The tears come fast and unexpected. He wipes them away with the back of his hand and flinches back as it does nothing to get rid of the growing wetness on his cheeks. He pulls his hands back and freezes at the dark liquid coating his hands. He wipes them on his pants before realizing those are covered in Tony’s blood, too. 

Peter walks over to Tony and Rhodey, collapsing next to them, feeling like gravity is weighing too much on him and like he needs a break. Rhodey nods at him and Peter thinks of how hard this must be for him, as Tony’s best friend. 

Peter’s not sure how much time passes between then and when the Quinjet arrives. All he can do is listen to Rhodey’s reassurances that Tony will be okay and watching as Tony takes in heaving, raspy gasps of air. 

When the Quinjet flies overhead, it’s almost too loud for Peter’s enhanced senses. His hair whips around his face wildly and he’s sure it makes him look like more of a mess than he already does.

Steve’s the first of out the jet, out even as it hovers just barely above the ground and racing over to them. Natasha and Sam are the next out, this time, however, after the jet lands. 

Rhodey and Steve talk and Peter tunes out when he hears them talking about “immediate medical attention” and “should’ve brought Cho with”. Peter just stares at Tony, whose eyes are now lidded and breath’s slowing but still raspy.

A hand is placed on Peter’ shoulder and he jumps slightly, whipping around. Natasha gives his shoulder a squeeze and tugs him back slightly. Peter allows himself to be dragged away and tucked under Natasha’s arm, watching numbly as Steve, Sam, and Rhodey load Tony onto the Quinjet. Peter goes to follow but Natasha keeps her hand firmly on his shoulder. He turns around and gives her a questioning look.

“Let’s take the car home,” she says, nodding over to the car Tony and Rhodey had arrived in. He suddenly remembers why this whole situation came about and looks over to where Abigail and Thomas had been only to find them gone. Natasha squeezes his shoulder again. “Pete? Are you okay? What are you staring at?”

“Uh, nothing, nothing,” Peter stutters. His voice crackles a little from disuse. “Let's go home.”

——————————————————————

Peter sits in an uncomfortable plastic chair outside the Compound’s surgery center. May’s arm is slung over his shoulder, thumb rubbing over his arm occasionally in a soothing manner. A nurse stands in front of him, dabbing his face with a alcohol covered swab before giving him and ice pack. 

“Hold this on the bruises,” she says gently. “You don’t have a concussion but you’re lip and eye are really swollen and this’ll help. I’m sure your enhanced healing helped out with that. Do you want any painkillers?”

Peter shakes his head and she stands and walks away. May calls a “thank you!” down the hall after her. Peter puts the ice pack on his eye and the stinging lessens. His leg bounces up and down with anxiety. This ended so differently than how he thought it would. 

Natasha and Clint were tracking down Thomas and Abigail. Pepper told May and Peter once they were back at the Compound that they originally weren’t going to do anything involving Abigail but Pepper convinced Rhodey and Tony otherwize who then sent Steve and Wanda to tell her the situation. It was actually just luck that Abigail wanted to go back to New York with them. It was also lucky that, on the Quinjet, it took a little less than 2 hours to get from the Compound to the Palmer residence and back. 

And God, Peter has never wanted to go home more than right now. But as much as Peter really wants to go back home to his and May’s apartment in Queens, he wants to stay and wait for Tony to stabilize and then wake up more. He feels restless but so exhausted. It’s the early morning hours, around 2AM now. They’d gotten back to the Compound just before midnight butthe surgery had taken a good hour and a half. Tony’s been in between stages of stable and not for the last half hour. Pepper and Rhodey are with Tony in the medbay now. 

“Honey,” May interrupts Peter’s downward spiral. “Why don’t you go take a nap? Just a real quick one in your room. Here, obviously.” 

“I just want to be here for Tony when he wakes up,” Peter says. “He always is for me and I want to be there.”

“How about this,” May says, smoothing down his hair. “If they think Tony’s gonna wake up, I’ll come get you. But you need a shower, food, and some rest.”

Peter goes to protest but his stomach gurgles before he can make a point. He sighs. “You’re right,” he admits, standing up. “But I want to know as soon as he wakes up. Please?” 

“Of course, Baby,” May says, giving him a soft smile. Peter nods hesitantly and starts the trek to his room.

——————————————————————

As soon as Peter is done with his shower and changed into clean sweats, he practically collapses on his bed with a heavy breath. It’s been… such a long day and he’s so tired. He could probably sleep for a good week. He knows he should eat something but even the thought of getting up and doing anything sounds so physically taxing; even talking sounds hard and he’s pretty good at that.

His eyelids close without him realizing it and he’s out like a light within seconds. 

When he wakes up again, it feels like he just closed his eyes. He’s still tired but he feels even more lethargic now than… whenever he fell asleep. He looks at the clock and his eyes widen in surprise; it’s the next day, almost noon. There’s a sandwich on his bedside table and he snags it quickly, taking a large bite. 

He eats the whole thing quickly and gets up, getting dressed into something more acceptable to wear around the Avengers. He knows Tony wouldn’t care but he doesn’t need all the Avengers to know he’s a mess when he’s sure they all already think it. Jeans and a worn out t-shirt, something he’d brought here from Queens and then never brought back.

He walks to the kitchen, empty plate in hand, hoping that nobody’s there. But it would be just his luck that Sam, Natasha, and Clint are all standing around the kitchen island, nursing cups of coffee.

“Morning, kid,” Clint greets, pushing his plate of untouched eggs and bacon toward him and getting up to grab another plate. “You get your sandwich?”

Peter nods, holding up his plate as evidence. “Yeah, thanks,” he says and Clint nods. “You guys didn’t have to do all this. I appreciate it, you guys know I do-”

“Who says this is all for you?” Sam teases. “I mean, it is but you don’t have to call us out like that. Sheesh, kid.”

Peter blushes lightly, washing his dirty plate and then putting it in the dishwasher before sitting down at the island, pulling the plate of breakfast close to him. The silence is awkward. 

“Peter,” Natasha begins slowly. She doesn’t say anything else until Peter looks up at her. “Pete, we just thought it was important to tell you that Tony’s wound got infected last night. Cho’s confident he’ll pull through but… he woke up for a couple minutes early in the morning and we decided it was best not to wake you. He was- he was in a lot of pain and May didn’t want you to see him like that.”

“We just wanted to tell you because we would’ve wanted to know…” Clint goes on. The rest of it kind of fades out and he doesn’t quite realize he’s pushed himself away from the island until the barstool clatters on the ground behind him. The three other occupants of the room stare at him with wide eyes, Clint’s jaw is slightly slacked from being cut off. 

“Peter?” Sam asks gently. “Are you okay?”

Peter shakes his head, hands trembling. “Uh, I- I need to go see Tony,” Peter says, walking backwards out of the kitchen. “Excuse me-” Peter stumbles over his words as he runs into a warm chest. Turning around, he sees Steve. “S-sorry, I have to… yeah.”

Peter bolts down to the medbay and he can distantly hear Steve chewing Sam, Nat, and Clint out for freaking Peter out. He doesn’t care, he has to get to Tony.

He pushes open the swinging doors with a bang, startling the the four occupants of the hall outside of the rooms. Tony’s room, specifically. Cho, May, Pepper, and Rhodey all stand there with deer-caught-in-the-headlights eyes. 

“Tony?” Peter asks. This breaks their stupor and they stare at each other instead of him. “Can I see him? Nat and Sam and Clint said-”

“Peter, honey,” May starts, hands held up in a calming gesture. “I would have woken you up but you needed your sleep and he wasn’t awake for more than 3 minutes-”

“I don’t care right now,” Peter says harshly. He’ll have to apologize to May later. “Can I see him now? Or sit with him, something?”

Pepper responds before anyone else can. “Of course, sweetheart,” she says, smiling softly at him. It’s pained. And it’s Peter’s fault. “Take as long as you need.”

Peter feels like he’s walking on auto-pilot. He doesn’t think for himself anymore; fight or flight has set in. He doesn’t hear the worried whispers that follow from the group behind him or the door to Tony’s room swinging open. Everything comes back all at once, though, when he sees Tony’s face.

Halting to a stop, the weight on his shoulders increases tenfold. The weight of the world is going to crush him while the air in his lungs are stolen away. He feels a heavy hand being placed on his shoulder, guiding him to a chair. He never looks away from Tony.

“I know, kid,” Rhodey says, squeezing his shoulder in comfort. “I know.”

——————————————————————

It takes a long, painful 3 days for Tony to completely stabilize and another 2 after that for him to wake up. Peter isn’t there since May and Pepper were pushing him to get back to school so he could catch up. 

Peter knows he’ll feel forever guilty. 

It’s a few days after Tony’s woken up and both Tony and Peter are anxious to see the other. May told him that Pepper said he was welcome any time and Peter would’ve gone as soon as possible if it weren’t so suspicious for him to do so. Only a few kids had seen Thomas take Peter but those that did started rumors and Tony’s message through Pepper and May was lay low. 

It’s Thursday now and Peter and May sit in the back of Happy’s car. It’s tense and a little awkward in ways it hasn’t been since Happy and Peter first met. But the Compound rolls into sights and Peter lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. May squeezes his hand and offers a closed-lipped smile. 

Once parked, Peter makes the trip he’s made more than a few times to the medbay, walking past Natasha and Clint on the way, who watch him worriedly but don’t say anything to him or try to stop him.

The door to the room Tony’s resting in is slightly ajar. Just open enough to see the room is well lit. Peter’s chest is suddenly heavy and his step falters. He pushes past the panic and opens the door the rest of the way. 

It’s quiet when he walks in, save for the beeping of the heart monitor. Tony meets Peter gaze quickly and so much emotion passes through. Peter feels the relieved laugh bubble up from his chest but feels the tears welling up in his eyes. The noise he makes doesn’t sound entirely human but it sounds incredibly hurt and sad. Peter will deny this fact later. Tony’s heart monitor speeds up, if only a little.

Tony opens his mouth, like he’s gonna say something snarky but closes it quickly. He takes a shuddering breath instead. “C’mer.” 

Peter’s more than a step ahead of him. 

——————————————————————

A month passes. Two pass and then another and Tony heals physically while Peter heals mentally. Summer creeps in on them before they realize and Peter’s taking his last final as a junior. 

Summer passes in a blur of laughter and crime fighting and staying up too late, watching Star Wars for the umpteenth time. LEGO sets are built and DUM-E and U have old parts taken away and new ones added; the squeaky wheel, the jerk in the turn. 

Peter burns before he tans and May scolds him about applying sunscreen while Tony laughs at the hand-shaped tan mark on his stomach. Peter later gets revenge on Tony by hiding every coffee maker in both the Tower and the Compound. 

Peter cries while Tony and May hold him close after being too late to a fire in a building. Three dead; a mother, a son, and a baby girl. 

Peter learns how to paint from Steve and how to cook from Sam and how to fight from Natasha and how to knit from Bruce. He builds with Tony and trains with the team and watches more than the acceptable amount of Netflix in one day. He gets his early acceptance letter from MIT and a few other notable universities. 

Peter learns a valuable lesson in these months: some days are harder than others but they all get better.

Tony drops Peter off on his first day of his senior year. Tells Peter to be good while the kid teases him about the cloggy quality of his voice. They laugh and Tony tells him to get out. This is a good day.

**Author's Note:**

> okokokok dont hate me for not being active on here for actual months please. life has been… hectic? idk how to even start so IM SO SORRY. anywho, i started this fic in September of 2018 so if this were a fetus, i would be birthing it in about a month but i dont want to wait anymore. So this was kinda just a fic to vent about school shootings at first but then it evolved into this shitttt storm. i hope you enjoyed anyway. comments and kudos are always appreciated and i just wanted to say thank you for continuing to do that on my other fics even if i haven’t been the most active. Your support has gotten me through a real rough patch in these last few months but i won’t get all ranty on you so i’ll see you next time!


End file.
